20 Reasons Everyone Should Have a Cat
When our second child was born, the little dog we had for a very long time went a little bit nuts. He wasn’t thrilled when we brought home baby number one three years before and he’d changed. He refused to come near us or the baby, he no longer wanted our love and affection. When our second daughter was born, he lost his mind. We were – sadly – forced to find a new home for the dog. It was a difficult experience for us, and we said we’d never have another pet. Six months later, our oldest daughter brought up a kitten. They’re cute. I grew up with cats and a dog at home. I decided it sounded like a good idea. That’s why I presented my husband with this list of reasons we had to have a cat, and it proved such a good idea!
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To Provide Support to a Shelter
One of the best reasons to adopt a cat is to provide support to your local animal shelter. Not only are you getting the cat you wanted, you’re providing money to the shelter to help them care for the other animals they have in their care, which is something that not many people are willing to, or can, do. It’s just a nice gesture all the way around.
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To Save a Life
Your cat might be eventually put down at a shelter. It’s not that shelters want to take the lives of cats, but the older a cat is or the longer it’s been in the shelter, the more likely it is that the animal will be euthanized at some point. The reason is that cats are always coming into shelters and they need a place to stay. When shelters run out of space for their animals, they often remove the oldest or the longest-residing animals to make room.
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To Bring Love into the Home
Animals bring with them a myriad of love and happiness into the home, which is a great reason to get a cat of your own. You will find that your cat is going to provide you with love and laughter, and everyone in your home will appreciate that twofold. Cats are wonderful pets and companions, and everyone deserves a pet that will spend a little quality time with them and bring more love into the home.
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They Practically take care of Themselves
Another great reason to get a cat is that it’s low maintenance and very independent. Unlike dogs that require walks and baths and lots of exercise, cats are happy to take care of themselves. They don’t go on walks or need you to care for them as much as dogs. They’re mostly self-sufficient, which makes them the best kind of animal to keep around the house.
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Baths are Not Needed
Cats clean themselves. Some of them will need some cleaning at times, but they’re mostly very clean animals that won’t get outside and need a bath when they come back in. They’re mostly indoor cats, too, so there’s very little chance that yours will go outside and become filthy jumping in mud puddles or doing the crazy fun stuff that dogs like to do.
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They’re Cuddly
Cats are so cuddly. Who doesn’t love something that you can hold in your lap and cuddle all the time? It’s going to give you a reason to be so happy and content when you’re just relaxing or having fun doing something random, and that is what we love about these animals. They provide so much comfort with all their cuddly goodness, and that’s what makes them such wonderful creatures. They’re just cuddly; there is no better reason to have a cat than that.
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They’re Quiet
Cats are not loud animals. For the most part, they don’t snore or run around the house digging their nails into the hardwood floors. They’re stealth and quiet, which can sometimes freak you out, but at least they’re not looking to wake your napping babies up from their slumber. That’s always a nice addition to any family.
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They Use the Bathroom on Their Own
Dogs are wonderful animals, but they’re a little bit (a lot) more work than cats. For example, you’re going to have to potty train your dog, and you know that’s never an enjoyable or easy task. In fact, it’s not a task that is even remotely fun. Cats, however, are really good about doing that on their own, which means that they will get to the bathroom in the litter box, and you won’t have to worry about making that happen.
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You Live Longer
Animal owners in general are statistically and medically proven to live a bit longer than their non-animal owner counterparts. There is some indication that pet owners are more relaxed, have a lesser chance of suffering from certain health issues and depression is a much less common illness among those who have animals. In short, people with cats live a lot longer, so there’s a good reason to have one of your own.
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They Relieve Stress
Cats are great forms of stress relief. In fact, they are actually medically proven to relieve stress, which is awesome. Your cat is going to appreciate the fact that he or she can help you feel better at the end of a long day, because it’s typically the attention you pay to your cat that causes you to experience less stress. This is a good thing in that you can just live a happier life with a feline friend at home.
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They’ll Help Kids with Allergies
When babies are exposed to animals from the start, they are less likely to develop allergies to animals. It’s what my mother has been telling me for many years when people would say that they didn’t want their kids around animals for fear of allergies. She loves to be right. It’s a little annoying for the rest of us only because she also likes to remind us all that she’s right about certain things.
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They’re Funny
If you’re having a bad day, a cat will cheer you right up. It might not mean to, of course. But it will. For example, that time the cat in my house jumped up onto the second floor stair banister and over shot the jump…it was almost terrifying but ended up being hilarious. Watching him grab hold of the banister and pull himself up while panicking was quite humorous (and yes, we are very glad he did not fall, but we choose to look at the bright side of every situation).
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They Kill Bugs – or at Least Trap Them
Our cat is amazing at this. He has no front claws, but that has not stopped him from making sure we have no pests in our home. I’m sure most of that has to do with our pest control company, but every so often something will get into the house and not have a chance to die before the cat finds it, traps it, plays with it and kills it. It’s always been little spiders, but he once got onto the enclosed back porch and killed a lizard that found its way in the open door.
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Cat Owners are Smarter
There is a scientific study that has proven cat owners are more intelligent than dog owners. I like to think it’s because we chose animals that use the bathroom on their own without actually needing you to teach them. We just know what we have time for and what we don’t. All kidding aside, however, cat owners are just smarter than dog owners and it has a lot to do with many things. At the end of the day, though, you’ll look smarter with a cat and not a dog.
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They’ll Sleep Anywhere
Cats are great because they don’t need a designated place to sleep. Ours will sleep anywhere, and even though he does like to climb into beds sometimes, he’s find sleeping on the fireplace, the floor, in a toy box, anywhere. He’s not at all particular, and that means we don’t have to worry about him having a sleep deprived attitude at all. Our cat also likes to sleep on anything that looks even remotely uncomfortable, such as the thinnest arm to a chair or couch. I can never figure out how he could be even close to comfortable.
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They Don’t Take up Much Space
Cats are small, so they don’t take up much space. If ever you’ve owned a large dog, you know that this is a problem when they begin to do things like sit on the couch and take up all the space. Cats might do the same, but they will not take up any of the space. That is, unless you get something like a bobcat or a Maine Coon or something larger than your usual cat. An animal that doesn’t take up much space in the house but still provides your family with ample love and attention is always nice to have around.
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They’re Great with Kids
Cats are gentle and good with kids, which makes it a great idea to have them around the house. You will find that your cats are very sweet with your children. If they’re not in the mood for the kids, they’ll disappear so that no one will bother them. That makes your life so much simpler, and your kids won’t even mind. When they are in the mood, though, they will make sure the kids are entertained for hours with their silly and very gentle antics.
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Petting Relieves Anxiety
If you’re high-strung, stressed or suffering from anxiety, you will find that it’s very easy for your cat to make you feel better. The simple rhythmic act of petting your animal works wonders on your ability to feel good and lessen these feelings of anxiety and upset. It’s a nice way to ensure that you are feeling good and not at all stressed most of the time. If you have a long day at work or doing whatever, you’ll find that coming home and petting the cat can calm you down in almost an instant, which is always nice.
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They Don’t Judge
Cats are not judgmental. Sure, sometimes their facial expression and the way they start at you makes you feel as if they are judging you, but that doesn’t mean that they actually are. All it means is that they are listening intently. And anyway, even if you are making yourself feel better by purging your inner feelings to the cat, you will not have to worry about it running off and telling the entire PTA or anything of that nature, so you’re good to go.
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They Don’t Bark
Did we mention that cats are nice and quiet? What this means is that you’re not going to be woken up in the middle of the night because your cat wants to bark at a squirrel that ran by the window, or a car driving by. Dogs are great animals, but they make a lot of noise and they are always inclined to make that noise when you least want them to, so it’s nice to have an animal that’s just a bit more quiet and relaxed.
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